Jaguars’ third-ranked defense playing through rash of recent injuries.

With the Jaguars’ defense, the Next Man Up thing now has an urgent feel.

Mel Tucker, the Jaguars’ defensive coordinator, said on Thursday the team’s third-ranked defense can’t worry about a rash of recent injuries, nor can it worry about possibly not having five starters available against one of the NFL’s best offenses Sunday.

Rashean Mathis. Clint Session.

Matt Roth. Terrance Knighton. Derek Cox.

The first two are out for the season, and with the latter trio missing practice Thursday, all five defensive starters could be absent against Houston.

It’s a worrisome situation, but one Tucker said the Jaguars are equipped to handle.

“Our deal has always been, ‘We’re going to need everyone at some point in the year,’’’ Tucker said Thursday as the Jaguars (3-7) prepared to play the AFC South-leading Houston Texans (7-3) at EverBank Field in downtown Jacksonville Sunday at 1 p.m.

“We told them that from Day One. Our philosophy is ‘Next Man Up.’ Everyone who is here we feel like can play winning football for us. Guys will know what their defined roles will be. If we have injuries, the next guy steps up.”

With Session, a starting linebacker, being placed on injured reserve this week, reserve/special teams player Russell Allen will start at outside linebacker. Mathis, a starting corner, was placed on injured reserve last week.

That makes the knee injury sustained by Cox more problematic.

With Mathis out last week, Cox moved to the left side from the right side, and Will Middleton started on the right side. With Cox out today, Ashton Youboty – a six-year veteran who signed as a free agent last week – could start opposite Middleton.

“It’s part of the business,” Youboty said. “We play a violent sport. You just have to be ready for any circumstance. You always have to be ready for any opportunity.

“I feel comfortable in the scheme. I know the defense well enough to be out there and compete.”

Youboty played about 20 plays in a pass-defense package against Cleveland Sunday.

“He did some good things,” Tucker said. “I have confidence in what he can do. He has looked good in practice. He was very solid. Our practices are very competitive. They’re a good indication of what a guy can do and I feel good about what we’ve seen him do so far.”

The defensive line hasn’t been immune to injuries, either.

With Knighton, a defensive tackle, likely out for a third consecutive game, C.J. Mosley again will start at the position alongside Tyson Alualu.

At end, the Jaguars have been without Aaron Kampman much of the season. He practiced on a limited basis with a hamstring injury Thursday and remains uncertain, and a concussion sustained by Roth against Cleveland this past Sunday could have a further impact on the lineup.

“It’s football,” Tucker said. “It’s a game of attrition. At this point in the year, everyone’s banged up. Everyone has issues. We know that. You’re lucky if you can go through the season without some nicks and bruises.

Leger Douzable, a third-year veteran who has played in 26 games for the Jaguars over two seasons, on Thursday said he likely will start at end in place of Roth, who is second on the Jaguars with 3.5 sacks this season. Douzable’s lone career start came in 2009 with St. Louis.

John Chick and George Selvie also likely will get time at end, as would Kampman if available.

“All of us are going to play a little bit this week,” said Douzable, who likely will play inside and outside Sunday. “You have to take this opportunity and play to the best of your ability. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t waiting for this opportunity, I’m sad that Matt got hurt, but I plan on going out there and playing one of the best games I’ve ever played.”

Also for the Jaguars on Thursday:

*Tucker spoke about the return of Texans All-Pro wide receiver Andre Johnson, who will start Sunday against Jacksonville after missing the last six games. “You can’t get overwhelmed with someone else’s talent,” Tucker said. “You have to go out there, apply your technique and fundamentals and play as hard as you can and play as a team.”

*Tucker said the absence of Texans right-handed starting quarterback Matt Schaub and the presence of left-handed backup Matt Leinart won’t change the Jaguars’ approach. “It’s not tricky for us,” Tucker said. “We’re going to do what we do. They’ll do what they do. I don’t anticipate them doing a whole lot of flipping. You can anticipate some of their boots and nakeds maybe going in a different direction, but we’ll see what they do. We’re going to do what we do.”

*Knighton, Roth and Cox were the lone players not participating, while Alualu, fullback Greg Jones and running back Maurice Jones-Drew returned to full-participation status after working on a limited basis Wednesday for non-injury reasons.

*Kampman remained limited for a second consecutive day, while wide receiver Brian Robiskie (hamstring) and offensive tackle Guy Whimper (thigh) each practiced full after working on a limited basis Wednesday.

*Fullback Brock Bolen (calf), defensive end John Chick (abdomen) and wide receiver Cecil Shorts (hamstring) each practiced full for a second consecutive day.

And here y'all thought it was only the Texans that were taking it up the ass with the injuries.

If anything, we've been fortunate.

Fortunate? The players that are injured for the Jaguars are nowhere near the magnitude of the injuries we have sustained.

Andre Johnson, Mario Williams, Matt Schaub, Arian Foster, Daneal Manning > All the players the Jags players they listed. Maybe if you replaced Cox, Roth, and Sessions with MJD, Polsunsky and Dawan Landry you could say the Jags have been hit just as hard. Its not about quantity of injuries its about the quality of the player you are losing.

Fortunate? The players that are injured for the Jaguars are nowhere near the magnitude of the injuries we have sustained.

Andre Johnson, Mario Williams, Matt Schaub, Arian Foster, Daneal Manning > All the players the Jags players they listed. Maybe if you replaced Cox, Roth, and Sessions with MJD, Polsunsky and Dawan Landry you could say the Jags have been hit just as hard. Its not about quantity of injuries its about the quality of the player you are losing.

To be fair: Mathis and Sessions are two of their top 3 defensive players.

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What did the city of Houston do to anger the football gods?

Fortunate? The players that are injured for the Jaguars are nowhere near the magnitude of the injuries we have sustained.

Andre Johnson, Mario Williams, Matt Schaub, Arian Foster, Daneal Manning > All the players the Jags players they listed. Maybe if you replaced Cox, Roth, and Sessions with MJD, Polsunsky and Dawan Landry you could say the Jags have been hit just as hard. Its not about quantity of injuries its about the quality of the player you are losing.

No, it's the ability of the team to make up for the loss of those players, and still play at a high level. We've been able to do that, and the Jags and other teams haven't.

The teams W-L records speak for themselves.

Go ask Jags Fan if he thinks his team has nowhere near the magnitude of the injuries we have sustained.

Exactly. Mathis has fallen off the last couple of years and Sessions is steady not spectacular. They are good players but they aren't the caliber of how we've been hit. The loss of Matt Schaub alone is greater than Mathis, Sessions, and Knighton combined. The other injuries they listed are week to week cases. Shut MJD down for the rest of the year and then I might consider having A LITTLE sympathy for their injury situation.

No, it's the ability of the team to make up for the loss of those players, and still play at a high level. We've been able to do that, and the Jags and other teams haven't.

That's a totally different argument. Our team has been able to step up because we are an overall better team with better depth. My initial response was comparing our injury situation to other teams and that we haven't been "fortunate". We've lost our starting quarterback (the most important position on the field), the best wide receiver in the game for what is it, like six weeks now, and one of the best pass rushers in the whole league, just to name a few of our injuries. The Green Bay Packers are "fortunate" they still have Aaron Rodgers, Clay Matthews, and Greg Jennings. That is not a comparison of Schaub to Rodgers, Mario to Matthews, etc. That is a reflection of the value those players bring to their team and their success. We have been able to succeed because we have guys that can step up, that is where we are fortunate.